The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1887-10-20

OF l0lS Cnufcn, anu greater numbers %
awny not able to get in. Led by cornet
and organ the congregation sang with great
power the hymn;
Inc morning light is breaking,
The darkness disappears,
Tho sons of men are waking
To penitental tears.
The Rev. r.. De Witt Talmage, d. D.,
read and explained passages of Scripture
concerning the dawn of universal right
eousness. The subject of his sermon was
"Unoccupied Fields" and the text from
Romans Nv, 20: "Lest 1 should build upon
another mans foundation" DIR. Talmage
said:
Stirring reports come from all parts of
America showing what o great work the
churches of God are doing, and l congrat-
ulate them and their pastors. Misappre-
hensions have been going the rounds, say
ing that the outside beneyolence of this
particular church are neglected, when
the fact is that large sums of money are
being raised in various ways by this church
for all styles Of good objects, not always
through The boards Of our own denomina-
ton. This church was built by all denom-
nations of Christians, and by many Sec
tions OF this land and other lands, and that
obligation has led us to raise money for
many objects not connected with our de-
nomination, and this accounts for the fact
that we have not regularly contributed 10
all the boards commended. But | rejoice
in that you have done, as n church, mag
nificent work, and am grateful that we have
received during the year, by the confession
OF faith in Christ, 725 souls, which fact L
mention, not in boasting, but in defense of
this church, showing that it has been
neither idle nor inefficient. The most of
our accessions have been from the outside
world, 80 that, taking The idea of my rext,
we have not been building on other peo-
Ile's foundations.
In laying ont the plan OF his missionary
tour Paul sought out towns and cities which
had not yet been preached to. He goes to
Corinth, city mentioned for splendor and
vice, and Jel usalem, where the priesthood
and the Sanhe rim were ready to leap with
both feet upon the Christian religion. He
feels he has especial work to do, and he
means to do it. What was the result? The
grandest life of usefulness that man ever
lived. We modern Christian workers are
not apt to initiate Paul. We build on an
other peoples foundations. Ii we erect
church we prefer to have it filed with
families all of whom have been pious. Do
we gather a Sabbath-schoo class, We want
good boys and girls, hair combed, faces
washed, manners attractive. So church
in this day is apt to be built out of other
churches. Some ministers spend all their
time in fishing in other peoples ponds,
and they throw the line into that church
pond and jerk out Methodist, and throw
the line into another church pond and
bring out a Presbyterian, or there is n re-
hgious row in some neighboring church
y1,.,Il 81 - Ee,I, ,s,FE
that pond, and we take them all in with
one sweep of the net. What is gained?
Absolutely nothing for the general cause
of Christ. 1t is only as in an army, when
a regiment is transferred from one division
to another, from the Tennessee 70 the
Potomac.
What strengthens the army is new re-
cruits. What l have always desired is
that while we are courteous to those COM
ing from other hocks, we build our
church not out of other churches, but out
of the world, lest we build on another
mans foundation. The fact is, this is a
big world. When in our schoolboy days
we learned the diameter and circumference
of this planet, we did not learn half 1t is
the latitude and longitude and diameter
and circumference of want and woe and
sin that no figures can calculate. This one
spiritual continent of wretchedness reaches,
across all zones, and if | were called to
give its geographical boundary, would
say it is bounded ON the north and south and
east and west by the great heart of Gods
sympathy and love. Oh, it is great
world. Since 6 o'clock this morning co.
800 persons have been born, and all these
multiplied populations are TO be reached
Of the Gospel. In England, or in our
Eastern American cities, we are being
much crowded, and an acre of ground is of
great value, but out West 500 acres is q
small farm and 20,0OO acres is no unusual
possession. There is vast field here and
everywhere unoccupied, plenty of room
more, not building on another mans
foundation.
We need as churches to stop bombarding
the old irOnclad sinners that have been
ploof against thirty years of Christian
assault Alas for that church which lacks
the spirit of evangelism, spending on one
chandelier enough to light 500 souls to
glory. and in one carved pillar enough TO
have made thousand men pillars in the
house of our God forever" " and doing less
good than many log cabin meeting house
with tallow candles stuck in wooden
sockets, and minister who has never seen
college or known the difference between
Greek and Choctaw. We need as churches
to get into sympathy with the great outside
world, and let them know that none are so
broken hearted or hardly bestead that will
not be welcomed. "No," saws some fns-
tidious Christian, II don't like to be
crowded in church. Don't put any one in
my pew" My brother, what will you do
in Heaven? When q great multitude that
no man can number assemblies they will
put fifty in your pew. What are the Sc
lect few to-day assembled in the Christian
churches compared with the mightier
millions outside Of them-S00, in
Brooklyn, but less than 100000 in the
churches? Many of the churches are like
hospital that should advertise that its
patients must have nothing worse than
toothache "run-rounds," but no broken
heads, no crushed ankles, no fractured
thighs. Give us for treatment moderate
sinners, velvet-coated sinners, and sinners
with gloss on. 1t is as though man
had n farm of 5000 acres and put all his
work on one Rcre. He may raise never so
large ears of corn, never so big heads of
wheat, he would remain poor. The church
of God has bestowed its chief care on one
acre and has raised splendid men and
women in that small inclosurc, but the
field is the world. That means North and
South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa,
and all the islands of the sea. It is as
though after great battle there were left
$4,000 wounded and dying ON the field,
and three surgeons gave all their time to
three patients under their charge. The
major general comes in and says to the
doctors: "Come out here and look at the
nearly $4,000 dying for lack of surgical
attendance" "NO,n saw the three doctors
standing there, tanning their patients,
awe have three important cases here and |
we are attending TO them, and when we
are not positively busy with their wounds, |
1t takes all our time to keep the flies off. )" |
In this awful battle of sin and sorrow,
where millions have fallen on millions, do |
- c.,nnl LII Li..,. L. L.l.;-.--